Maldives strongly condemns deadly Israeli air strikes on Iran

Maldives has expressed strong condemnation for the Israeli air strikes on Iranian military bases on Saturday that killed at least four military personnel.

In a statement on Saturday afternoon, the Maldivian Foreign Ministry said the strikes constitute “a violation of Iran’s sovereignty and international law.”

“The Government of Maldives calls for the immediate de-escalation of hostilities that have exacerbated tensions, threatening the security of the countries and peoples across the region,” reads the statement.

The Maldives urged all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint to diffuse tensions and respect international law.

It also called on the international community to undertake all measures necessary to support efforts to bring immediate cessation of hostilities and enhance dialogue to ensure lasting peace in the Middle East.

The pre-dawn Israeli air strikes targeting military bases killed at least four military personnel and damaged radar systems.

While Israel targeted multiple locations across Iran, including the north, east and south, the main focus of the strikes was the Iranian capital.

The attack was long expected after Iran launched a missile barrage earlier in October, in which about 200 missiles were fired at Israel and one person was killed in the occupied West Bank.

Iran said that attack was in retaliation for assaults in recent months that killed leaders of the Lebanese group Hezbollah, Palestinian group Hamas and the Iranian military.

Tensions between archrivals Israel and Iran have escalated with Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed over 42,800 people and wounded over 100,000 others.

Fears that Iran and Israel’s closest ally the United States would be drawn into a regional war have risen with Israel’s intensifying assault on Hezbollah since last month, including air strikes on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, and a ground operation.